against that day. Through the courfe of his miniftry, his defire was to depart out of life, and to be with Christ. And when death ftared him in the face, as evidently as it does fome of us now; he met it with a holy fortitude, and without the leaft difmay, faying, "I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought, a good fight, I have finished my courfe, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteoufnefs, which the Lord, the righteous Judge fhall give me; and not to me only, but unto all them alfo that love his appearance*. Thus lived, and thus died, one who, from being the chief of finners, became the prince of apoftles on earth; and who is now before the throne of God, faying, Worthy is the Lamb that was flain." Happy man! and mightily changed indeed! I am almost at a lofs which to admire moft: the polluting, condemning, and hateful nature of fin; or the free, rich, efficacious, and transforming nature of the grace of Chrift. By this his people are turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, by this they receive remiffion of fins; and, at laft, an inheritance among the faints in light.

2. These truths, afford the beft encouragement, to them who know and feel that they have ruined themfelves by fin, to apply for mercy and falvation.

While we remain under the energy of the god of this world, and the stupidity that naturally dwells upon the mind by fin; all the terrors of God's law against it, exemplified in the perdition of the ungodly who have gone before us, are not fufficient to reftrain us from loving and following it. But when God difcovers to a finner his own glory; when he

2 Tim. iv. 6, 7, 8. Note; Thefe triumphant words were uttered by the apostle, when he was the fecond time before Nero; foon after which he was put to death.

gives

gives him to fee, that the angels veil their faces with their wings, while they proclaim the holiness of the LORD OF HOSTS; then he cries out, "Wo is me, for I am undone, becaufe I am a man of unclean lips *. In this condition, he is ready to defpair, and can hardly forbear concluding, that, fince God is just and holy, he muft perifh. Struck with a fenfe of his numberless and aggravated offences; and anticipating the vengeance due to his fins; he manifefts the confternation of his mind in these words, What must I do? Do! why, look at the convert of whom we have been speaking, and take courage, and call upon the name of the Lord. His example af fures you, that God has forgiven and faved finners, and that Chrift died for his enemies. If the apoftle Paul were now permitted to forfake the blifsful regions to enter this gloomy prifon-and take poffef fion of my place for a few minutes; what do you think his language to you would be? Had I his abilities and experience, I could tell you better. However, we may juftly fuppofe he would speak to this effect: "Poor finners, defpair not. I was oncé ivilè as the vileft among you. I was as ignorant of, and as much averfe from the Savior, as you

can poffibly have been. He fought me, when "I was dead in trefpaffes and fins. He found me, when I was going to Damafcus, full of rage and madness against him. He stopped me. He "made me feel my guilt and mifery. He revealed himself to me as the expected Redeemer of Ifrael. I cried unto him for mercy which he freely and amply vouchfafed to me. He "carried me fafely through the frares of life; and "the dark valley of the fhadow of death. And "now I am faved, exalted and glorified! If, after seeing me, you can doubt of the ability or willing

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tc nefs of Jefus to fave to the uttermoft, all that come to God by him; I declare further, that I left "behind me in the kingdom of my God, multitudes "who were utterly unworthy of the felicity which "they enjoy. I affure you, that I myself heard Him, who is the advocate with the Father, pleading "his own facrifice, for many who are now living "in open rebellion against him. And the word "of truth informs you, that the reviving declaration of him who cannot lye, is, HIM THAT COMETH UNTO ME, I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT. Ask, and it fhall be given you: feek, and ye fhall find: knock, and it fhall be opened to you." Thus would you be encouraged and exhorted from above. May the God of all grace give you faith, hope, and a fpirit of prayer! And if from your hearts you can only fay, God be merciful to me a finner " thofe words will reach the throne of God; and he will bind up your broken hearts-proclaim liberty to your captive fouls and open the prifon of guilt and defpair to you who are bound. But,

3. Behold, the awful cafe of thofe finners, who are moved neither by God's judgments nor mercies. If there be a cafe upon earth pitiable, and, at the fame time deteftable, it is that of a finner, who does not tremble under the apprehenfion of the wrath of God revealed from heaven: and who has no difpofition to hearken to his voice as a God of grace, forgiving iniquity, tranfgreffion, and fin. The wretch: has broken the law; he is condemned already; the fufpenfion of his execution depends upon the precarious and flender thread of life; the bottomlefs pit has opened its mouth to receive all that die in their fins: Yet he is fecure, as if there were no danger. As the thunders of Sinai do not alarm him; God fends the word of grace, and his minifters to

John xvii. 20. Ifa, liii, 12.

open

*

open that word. Chrift crucified is evidently fet forth before his eyes His righteoufnefs and atonement are declared to be unto all, and upon all them that believe, without any difference God's promises, that none fhall be rejected, who are willing to receive life as a divine gift in Chrift Jefus, are unfolded-The monuments of grace, recorded for the encouragement of faith and hope, are exhibited and brought near. Yet all excite not one prayer! No; not a fingle defire after this falvation! Lord, what is man! Thou knoweft that this is his cafe: facts demonftrate it to us: therefore breathe upon these dry bones, and bid them live; create them anew in Chrift Jefus, and make them willing in the day of thy power.

3

4. Let thofe perfons, who profefs that they are converted by the grace of God, confider the manifold obligations by which they are bound to holinefs and integrity of life.

Were you chofen in Chrift? It was to be holy and without blame before him in love. Are you quickened? It is that you fhould walk in newnefs of life. Are you enriched with the bleffings of the gofpel? It is that you may live like pilgrims and ftrangers upon earth. Has Chrift divorced you from the law +, and made you one with himself? It is that you should bring forth fruit unto God; and ferve him in newness of fpirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. In fhort, if Chrift hath redeemed you by price and by power; it is that you may be a peculiar people, zealous of good works: and manifeft, as much as time and opportunities permit, that fin is your greatest burden.

To conclude; let thofe perfons, who are affembled here to fee the awful confequences of violating the laws of government in the ignominious chains + Rom. vii, 4.

*Rom. iii. 22.

of these their fellow-creatures, go home, and bless God that he has not left them in the hour of temptation. For, had this been the cafe, we fhould have done as they have done, and been as they are; fince we are partakers of the fame finful nature, and have the fame enemy who is feeking our deftruction. Nay, it may be that fome of us who are now at liberty, and under no apprehenfions of having the fhameful halter put around our necks, have committed crimes, which, in the fight of the Judge of quick and dead, are no lefs aggravated than thofe which have brought thefe men to this unhappy end. Wherein we differ, must be imputed to the reftraining power, the over-ruling providence, or the fovereign grace of God. And none of us, as better than they, can juftly caft at them one ftone §. May this confideration humble us, and make us thankful! And, while we remember the goodness of the Lord to us, may we pour forth our cries to the God of all grace for thefe our fellow-finners

As to you, who have cut fhort your lives by the offences which you have committed, and who fee the period of your exiftence on earth just before you; what fhall I fay?-I have many, many times made mention of you in my prayers before God at home. I came hither to preach to you with a trembling heart. And now my heart's defire and prayer for you is, that God may give you repentance unto life that you may be converted from the error of your ways-that you may believe on Chrift for falvation and.be made the happy monuments of the free, rich, and diftinguishing grace of God for ever and ever. Amen.